* "...it is those college-educated workers with functional literacy little better than the average high
school graduate who end up in these lower-level jobs." page 48 of Who's Not Working and Why

Table 2
Higher Tiers Jobs Pay More and
Vocational Training Helps Some More Than Education

Occupation Tiers by Average Years of Education
of Prime Age Workers3

Education

Tier 1 jobs
10.5 or less

Tier 2 jobs
10.6 - 12.0

Tier 3 jobs
12.1-14.5

Tier 4 jobs
>14.5

All Tiers

Highest Level Completed

1994 median hourly wages for men

High school dropouts

$7.21

$8.82

$10.13

little data

$7.704

Only high school diploma/GED

9.89

11.32

12.64

15.56

11.05

Some university/trade/vocational
schools

10.40

12.61

14.39

16.68

12.91

University degree or more

10.02

12.31

18.08

20.16

18.02

Tier Wage

9.23

11.53

15.13

19.23

12.60

Highest Level Completed

1994 median hourly wages for women

High school dropouts

5.67

5.61

7.40

8.61

5.79

Only high school diploma/GED

6.40

6.66

9.61

9.90

8.00

Some university/trade/vocational
schools

6.87

7.50

10.56

11.08

9.61

University degree or more

6.58

7.28

14.42

15.17

14.41

Tier Wage

6.24

6.73

10.85

14.15

9.61

Data is from Table 5.1 of Who's Not Working and Why.

Table 3
Prime Age Workers With Education Are Taking Lower Tier Jobs

Occupations Tiers by Average Years of Education

Tier 1 jobs
10.5 or less

Tier 2 jobs
10.6 - 12.0

Tier 3 jobs
12.1-14.5

Tier 4 jobs
>14.5

Row
Total

Formal Education Completed

1971 percentages by row

High school dropouts

54.1

32.0

13.3

0.6

100.0

Only high school diploma/GED

23.2

32.7

41.2

2.9

100.0

Some university

8.9

20.5

59.4

11.2

100.0

University degree

1.2

4.5

34.6

59.7

100.0

Tier Percentage

26.4

26.2

34.6

12.9

100.0

Formal Education Completed

1995 percentages by row

High school dropouts

58.2

29.5

11.5

1.0

100.0

Only high school diploma/GED

30.1

30.9

36.1

2.9

100.0

Some university

14.1

25.0

53.2

7.7

100.0

University degree

2.9

6.6

45.5

45.0

100.0

Tier Percentage

19.9

21.9

41.6

16.6

100.0

Data is from Table 3.4 of Who's Not Working and Why.

What Should Potential Students Do,
Advice From www.businessbookmall.com.

I.

Advice will center on economic concerns, analysis of the non-economic benefits associated with
education will be left for another time.

II.

What should average high school students do.

A.

The median score for someone whose highest degree is from high school had an average
score for the three National Adult Literacy Tests of approximately 2705.

B.

People with functional literacy near the middle of their high school class usually end up in low
paying Tier 1 and Tier 2 occupations.

C.

The exception is people who have some university/trade/vocational schooling. They have
high paying Tier 1 and Tier 2 occupations and earn more than college graduates working in
Tier 1 and Tier 2 occupations. A list of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 occupations and what they pay
would be extremely interesting!

D.

These students should try and measure their special intelligenceTM, determine how it relates
to trade/vocational schooling, determine how it relates to what they like to do, and investigate
vocational training as a means of enhancing their career potential. For more on special
intelligence see
Education in a World of Multiple Intelligence
located at
www.businessbookmall.com.

III.

What should good students do.

A.

The median score for someone whose highest degree is from college had an average score
for the three National Adult Literacy Tests of approximately 3225.

B.

Since the average test score for Tier 3 is 311 and the average test score for Tier 4 is 338, the
median college graduate ends up somewhere between the two tiers.

C.

The real earnings of many college graduates decreased substantially between 1971 and 1995
(see Education Goes Up For All, Income Goes Up For Some Women at
www.businessbookmall.com ). As a result, the politically correct answer of go to college may
only be appropriate for academically oriented high school graduates.

D.

For academically oriented students, investigating college is important. A good place to begin
is
Not All College Majors Are Created Equal
located at www.businessbookmall.com.

IV.

Students in between trade/vocational and college should consider the following:

A.

Begin by looking at
Many Without A Bachelors Degree Have High Earnings
located at
www.businessbookmall.com.

B.

Talents of the student as they relate to both trade/vocational school and college.

C.

The desires and maturity of the student.

D.

Family income

E.

Attending a local college part-time for a while.

F.

The military

1I.

Tables, with minor adjustments, are from Who's Not Working and Why
(ISBN 0521651522).
Table names are from www.businessbookmall.com.

A.

Authors: Economists Frederic L. Pryor of Swarthmore College and David L. Schaffer of the
University of Wisconsin at Eau Clair

B.

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1999

II.

Primary data sources used by authors

A.

Current Population Surveys of the Census Bureau from 1970 through 1996 with the earlier
surveys adjusted for changes in occupational definitions.

B.

National Adult Literacy Survey of 1992

C.

Prime Age Workers are 25-49.

2For a brief summary of The National Adult Literacy Survey visit www.businessbookmall.com and view the
document Education Helps Some More Than Others. 3Prime Age Workers are 25-49.4Bold numbers are of particular interest.5These calculations are from www.businessbookmall.com and may be viewed in the document Education
Helps Some More Than Others. This document also contains a brief explanation of The Adult Literacy
Survey.